October 2010

 Have a clear understanding of how to go about drafting your essay

Introduction Body Conclusion Title Paragraph 1 Introduction Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3 Paragraph 4 Paragraph 5 May announce your subject Sparks readers’ interest Identifies narrowed topic Presents thesis Interests readers Provides background Supports and explains your thesis Reemphasizes your thesis (does not merely restate it) Draws essay to a close

 Most-to-least or least-to-most  Arrange supporting paragraphs from MTL or LTM based on importance, interest, etc.  Could begin with the most convincing or save the most convincing until last  Chronological Order  Arrange supporting details in order of which they occurred  Spatial Order  Organize details according to location/position

 Choose one of the following thesis statements and decide how you would organize its supporting evidence  Despite the many pitfalls that await those who shop at auctions, people can find bargains if they prepare in advance  My first day of kindergarten was the most traumatic experience of my childhood, one that permanently shaped my view of education  Learning how to drive a car increases a teenager’s sense of freedom and responsibility

 Always begin with a thesis statement  Use Roman numerals (I, II), capital letters (A, B), Arabic numbers (1,2) and lowercase letters (a, b) to designate levels of importance  Indent less important entries  Begin every entry with a capital letter

 Put entries of roughly equal importance at the same level  Make sure that each entry explains or supports the topic or subtopic under which it is placed

Topic Sentence Supporting Details Concluding or Transitional Sentence Identifies what the paragraph is about Makes a point about the topic Connects to the previous paragraph Explain the topic sentence Support the topic sentence with evidence, such as examples, facts, statistics, personal experience and definitions Draws from the paragraph to close, or Leads to the next paragraph

 A topic sentence must support the thesis  Must explain the thesis or show why it is believable or correct  A topic sentence should support exactly what the paragraph is about  Rather than writing general statements, tell the reader precisely what to expect  A topic sentence can appear in any position within a paragraph  Unless there is good reason, the topic sentence is usually placed at the beginning of a paragraph (sometimes may fall after the transition sentence)

 Read the following thesis statement. Then identify the one topic sentence in the list that does not support the thesis Thesis: To make a marriage work, a couple must build trust, communication and understanding 1) Knowing why a spouse behaves as she or he does can improve a relationship 2) People get married for reasons other than love 3) The ability to talk about feelings, problems, likes and dislikes should grow as a marriage develops 4) Martial partners must rely on each other to make sensible decisions that benefit both of them

 Revise each topic sentence to make it focused and specific. At least one of the revised topic sentences should also preview the organization of the paragraph 1) In society today, there is always a new fad or fashion in clothing. 2) People watch TV reality shows because they find them irresistible. 3) Procrastinating can have a negative effect on your success in college.